Can't raise alkalinity enough?

[vertex]

I would like to get my alkalinity up to 9-10 but I just can't seem to ever get it above 8 and hold it there. I dose with seachem? reef builder every 2 (sometimes 3) days the recommended amount (1/2 tsp for 33 gallon tank).

My calcium level is holding around 480-500 and I only dose it once about every 7-10 days.

My tank picture is below to give you an idea of what's in it. Are others using the reef builder and maintaining higher levels? Any suggestions what I should try to balance this calc/alk better or is it OK? My coraline growth has been fairly slow.

Also, my cabbage leather coral is nearly finished in the lower right, any suggestions that might help it would be great. It used to be higher up so I've tried to move it down now to lower the light intensity. 2x96W Coralife


Thanks for the help.

http://img293.imageshack.us/img293/3025/img70395bg.jpg

[shotzee]

That isn't too bad for alkalinity since you usually aim for 7-11 dKH (2.5-4 meq/l). You might want to lower your calcium a bit thought, aim for 400-450 ppm, but watch you pH and your magnesium as you make any changes.

[Jack]

You can add more reef builder. The directions on the bottle is the recomended starting dosage and you can build off that. You won't need to lower you Calcium because rasing your Alkalinity should drag it down a little. If you're worried about using more just test frequently making sure you aren't rasing it too fast... just keep doing that untill you're happy with your desired Alk.

I belive Beverly knows a link to a good reef chemistry calculator. You can punch in your current and desired alkalinity levels and then your total gallons and it will tell you how much of which product it will take to get you there. Maybe she will chime in! Try "reef chemistry calculator" in google and I think it will come up tho.

[Chin_Lee]

use baking soda to raise alk..... don't waste money on reef builder stuff. do a search on "baking soda and alk" for more info.
cwlee

[Edmonton Eskimo]

I agree. I only use baking soda for my alk. No need to buy a supplement which is glorified baking soda. Cheap isn't always bad :mrgreen:

[Ruth]

I would also make sure that you test for magnesium as that can throw your calcium/alk balance off. I agree that yours isn't too bad and would not be too worried about but magnesium is important to test for to maintain balance.
I have my cabbage coral fairly high up in the tank under MH light (not directly) and it does very well so you may want to think about moving it up.

[StirCrazy]

first your Ca is way up there, let it dimminish to about 400 ppm (natural sea water is 380 to 420 ppm) and there are several opinions that a higher Ca can actualy slow down coral growth as much as to little.

aside from that 9 or 10 is a natural level for a Ca of about 380 so if you try push it up you are most likely going to just pertisapate it back out. you will find as you drop your Ca levels it will be eaiser to bump up your Alk with baking soda.

Steve

[StirCrazy]

I would also make sure that you test for magnesium as that can throw your calcium/alk balance off. I agree that yours isn't too bad and would not be too worried about but magnesium is important to test for to maintain balance.
I have my cabbage coral fairly high up in the tank under MH light (not directly) and it does very well so you may want to think about moving it up.

Ruth with a low Mg you will not be able to get your Ca to anywhere near normal and the alk will not be affected. looking at his Ca levels I can guarantee Mg is not an issue in this case.

Steve

[Ruth]

Sorry my bad. I shouldn't add reply's so early in the morning. I agree that mag. is not the problem with that high of a calcium reading I had meant to make the point that it is important to keep everything in balance including mag. Sorry if I mislead.

[shotzee]

You don't want to be raising your alk with your calcium level that high. If you do, it will lower the calcium as was already mentioned, but that calcium will precipitate out and can seize up pumps = bad situation. This happened to me when I had some pH issues and then tried to adjust my alk without paying attention to my calcium.

[vertex]

Thanks everyone. I'll stop any calcium dose and hopefully it will come down a little over the next few weeks while SLOWLY stepping up the alk a bit at a time.

I don't have test kit for Mg, never thought it was very important (since my Calc is high).

Thanks for the tip with baking soda, I had heard some folks say its better for freshwater than salt, but if other folks are using it, then I will try this as well to save a few $s.

Mike